Loose leaf binder



June 30, 1931.

R. E. HAMILTON 1,812,435

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed July 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l /2 INVENTOR 4% 4 June 30, 1931. R, E, HAMlLTON 1,812,435

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed July 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 47 l PIII 47 9 .fV A 4@ y; 32 =\/4 4s 3 `25 i 47 47 49 NVENTOR 4.9 Q si f na fj, ,4Q/ 48 i l M y Patented June 30, 193T UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROT n. HAMILTON, or KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, AssreNoB., BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

To WILSON-JONES COMPANY, or cnrcAc-o, TLLTNoTs, A CORPORATION or MASSA- CHUSETTS Loosn LEAF BINDER Application filed July 2,1928. vSerial No. 289,890.

This invention relates to-loose leaf binders andmore particularly to what isy commonly known as the prong binder'whic-h comprises a pair of hingedly connected plates each having arcuate .tiling-prongs extending toward the other plate and in `which sheets are so spaced apart that each sheet of a series has an uncovered portion on which any Suitable identification characters may be placed to produce a visible record.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a loose'leaf binder having hinged together back f members to which .covers are hinged for limited movement to cause the closing of said` back members as the covers are moved to the closed position.

Another object of the present invention is thecontemplation of a loose leaf binder having anglediback ymembers hinged together with latching means at each end' thereof to limit the o-pening movement ofthe same and wherein4 the pintle ofthe hinge of the back members is employed to carry a means for releasing the latching means at both ends thereof.r

A' further object of this invention is the provision of a loose leaf binder having two back members hingedly joined together with latching means at each end: thereof, and means'for releasing saidlatching means having a pivoted lever which is normally retained in a neutral position but may be operated in two directions to release the latching means.

Further Objects of this invention are simplicityof construction, ease of Operation, and stability when in the working position.

With theser general objects in view aswell as minor Objects which will appear during the course of the detailed specification, the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a construction embodying the improvements of this invention.l

ln the drawings:

Figure 'l isi a plan view looking into the binder 'in an open position, with parts broken away. Y f

Fig. Q is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line IIf-II of Fig; l.

` Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end elevation of the operating end of the binder with the covers in the closed position and dotted Open.

Fig. L is an enlarged cross section taken on line V-IV of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section taken on line V-V of Fig. l, showing the back members in the closed position.

Fig. 6 is a. view similar to Fig. 5, with the back members in the intermediate or working position.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on line VII-VH of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a section taken on line VIII- VIII of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line IX-IX of Fig. l, showing the cover hinge when the cover is in the open position. y

Fig. l0 is a View similar to 9, with' the cover shown in the closed position.

yReferring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the numerals 10 and 11 designate a pair of angular back members havingV hinge knuckles lQ'formed in their adj acent sides to receive the pintle 13 which eX- tends substantially the full length of the back members. Securely attached to the back members by welding or any other suitable way, are end caps 14 adapted to butt together at their inner edges when the back members are in the closed position. Attached to each back member is a plate 15 having tiling prongs 16 swaged or Otherwise securely attached thereto 'and extending toward the other plate. Said prongs are arcuate and preferably concentric with the .pintle 13 so that as the back members are moved the prongs will all remain in a. common cylindrical surface.

The binder is so constructed as to provide three distinct operative positions, in which the .binder maybe positioned and secured against further opening, and for this purpose I have provided the following latching means'and manually controlled means for releasing the same.l Securely aihxed by` welding or otherwise to the inner face of one cap 14 at each end of the back member l0 is a plate 17 which overlaps the adjacent v end cap and facilitates the closing of the gap between'the end plates when the binder r end of the pintle lf3-and extending inwardly adj acent-the plate 17 at one end is anfoperating lever 19 provided with a finger hold 20 by means of which the lever'may be moved to the right or left from a normal position,

as hereinafter described. A'ba-r21'having an opening 23 into which is loosely lit-ted post 18, is Vsecured to the end plate '17 by means of the sho-uldered screws 22 which allows for .a slight inward movement of the bar, but which in conjunction with the post 18 prevents any oscillation of'the same. The ends of the bar 21 are constructed and positioned to normally contact with the inner face of the plate 17, while the intermediate portion thereof isY offset to span the lever 19 positioned between plate 17 and bar 21.

The free end of bar 21 is provided with an outwardly extending ratchet tooth 24V adapted to extend through the opening 125 in `end plate 17 and into either opening-26 yor 27 formed in an end cap 14 to either limit the opening of back members 11 or'lock them in closed position. v It will be noted `that ratchetv tooth 24 is so constructed witha beveled outer surface as'to permit relative movement of the back members inv one direction only. Openings 26 and 27 are of equal radial distances from the pintle 13 so that as the back members are oscillated about y said pintlethe ratchettooth24 will be prop-v erly positioned to engage with either of said openings. Y Y

The bar 21 is provided withan inturned lug'.` 28 at its upper side adjacent opening 23. Operating lever 19 is also provided with an inturned lug 29 which is positioned adjacent lug 28 and. coextensive therewith. A helical spring 3()l having oppositely disposed hook members 3l and 32 extending outwardly therefrom is carried on the outer periphery of sleeve 33 which is lsecured to post 18 by means of pin 34. Asclearly shown'- in Fig 5, the hook members of spring 30 engage opposite adjacent sides ofzinturned lugs 28 and 29 respectively, Vthereby normally holdingoperating lever 19 in a central position. However itis apparent that by pressing on the "finger hold 20', the lever may be moved either tothe right or left against thespring action. As operating lever 19 is moved to the G0 i left the hook member 32 will retain its initial position against lug 28 while the hook member 31 will be carried to the left by means off the lug 29, thereby tensioning spring 30 and permitting the automatic return of the lever 19to its initial position when linger hold 20 is released. An opening 25 in lever 19 is adapted to encompass post 18 and its side walls are so positioned as to engage post 18 to limit the -movement of lever 19 in both directions.

Intermediate opening 23 and ratchet tooth 24 in nbar2l is a recessv35'having' inclined walls. A steel ball 36 carried in ain opening V37 formed in operating lever 19 is so positioned between plate 17 and recess 35 in bar 21 that it will normally becentered thereinV and as lever 19 is operated ball .37 Vwill impinge the inclined wall of recess35, thereby forcing ratchet tooth 24 inwardly to disengage from either opening 26 or 27 as the case may be, thus permitting furtherl opening of' back members. A coil'spring 55 is positioned around post 18between sleeve 331 and @bar 21 tensioned'y toV normally forcev ratchet tooth 24 into the openings.l

Both ends of the binder may be similar'in i construction; however, I have chosen to eliminate the manual operating lever at one end of the parts; v

Bar 21 has a central opening 23 into which the post `18 is fitted landv is secured and therefore have slightly modified some at one end for limited inward movement by a shouldered screw The free end of bar 21 is provided with an outwardlyextend-V ing ratchet tooth 24 which is normally held against Vinward movement by aj tensioned spring positioned onn post 18'intermediate bar 21V and sleeve `33 which is securely attached to post 18. A lever 38 secured to pintle 13 by means ofpin39 is operable thereby.

Lever 38 hasan opening 37 whichis adapted'v to receiveaball. 36 whichV in turn'ispositioned betweenV the inner. surface of plate 17 anda recess35 having inclined walls formed in'bar 21 and impingesrsaid inclined walls to causethe inward and outward movement of said bar as the lever 38 is moved in either direction. j

Back members 10 and 11 are each provided with hinge knuckles 46 which cooperate with hinge knuckles 47 formed at the ends of covers 48 to receive pintles 49 'forhingingsaid back members and covers together. Knuckles and 47 are provided `with interlocking projections 50 and 51 respectively, whichfco'act to limit the-hingingmovementbetween the covers and back members for purposesfhereinafter set forth. 'Fig. f3, shows' the binderin solid lines inthe closedY position. The` v covers 48 are free to move outwardly to the position shown .in dotted lineswithout interfering withthe relative positions of the'` back members 10 and 11. Howeveig as clearly;

shown in Fig. 10, when cover 48 and the outer wall of back member 10 are in alinement, 48

cannot be moved farther inwardly if thev back members are in the closed position. Whenever* the binder is inthe completely open position or the partially open or working position as shown in Fig. 6, the-binder Yby the other of said back may be closed to the position shown in Fig. 3, by simply grasping the covers and moving them inwardly. With the ratchet tooth as shown the lback members when in the vfull open position may be moved to the closed position and said tooth Will ratchet past opening 27 and drop into opening 26 to secure the backs against accidental opening.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the present invention provides afloose leaf binder mechanism in which the back members can have no movement relative to the covers When the covers are in the closed position, and also provides a mechanism which will permit the positioning of the binding prongs in the closed, Working, or open position as desired.

I do not Wish to limit this invention to the structure shown and described, as many modifications may be made Within the scope of the appendedclaims Without departing from the spirit thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of'back members, a pintle pivotally connecting said bach members, a latching mechanism having interengaging parts carried by the back members to secure the back members against opening, and means carried by the pintle operable in two directions from a neutral position to disengage the interengaging parts of the latching mechanism.

2. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of back members, a pintle pivotally connecting said back members, a latching means having interengaging parts carried by the back members at each end thereof to secure the back members against opening, means carried by the pintle operable in tvvo directions to disengage the interengaging parts of the latch,- ing means, and mechanism normally securing said disengaging means in the inoperative position.

3. In a loose leaf binder, a pair .of back members, a pintle pivotally connecting said back members, a latching means having interengaging parts carried by the back members at each end thereof to secure the back members against opening, and disengaging means automatically returnable to its inoperative position carried by the pintle and movable to disengage the interengaging parts of the latching means. e

t. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of back members, a pintle pivotally connecting the back members, an outer end member carried by one of said back members and provided With openings, an inner end member carried members, formed to overlap said outer end member, a latching bar having a tooth adaptedto selectively enter said openings, said bar being carried by the inner end member, and means to actuate said bar through the intermediacy of said pintle whereby the tooth is removed from any opening With Which it may be engaged.

5. In a' looseleaf binder, a pair of back members, a pintle pivotally connecting said back members, a latching mechanism comprising a latch said latch to lock said members in closed or partly open positions, and means operable by said pintle for disengaging said latch from said detents for permitting said members to move to a full open position.

G. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of back members, a pintle pivotally connecting the back members, closure members at each end of said back members, latch means mounted .on the inner faces of said closure members and movable by said pintle to permit opening of said back members, and means manually operable from a point Without said closure members for moving said pintle to unlock said latch.

7 In a loose leaf binder, a pair of back members, a pintle pivotally connecting the back members, closure members at each end of said back members, a latch mounted on the inner face of one of said closure members and having means for engaging a detent on the other closure member, means for moving said latch inwardly of the closure members to disengage the same, said last named means being movable by said pintle.

8. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of opposed back members having latch carrying portions at the ends thereof, a pintle pivotally connecting said back members, bars having means cooperating with the latch carrying portions of the back members to hold the latter against opening and yieldable length- Wise of the back members, and releasing means at the opposite ends of the back members and connected for simultaneous operation through said pintle each releasing means including a member swingable transversely of the back members and having means cooperating With the respective bar for moving the latter to released position.

f 9. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of opposed back members, a pintle pivotally connecting said back members, a latching means having interengaging parts carried by said back members to secure the latter against opening, said latching means also including a bar, and releasing means consisting of a lever secured to the pintle, and a ball movable with the lever against the bar to shift the interengaging latch parts to released position.

l0. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of opposed back members, end caps therefor, a pintle pivotally connecting the back members, a latching means having interengaging parts carried at each end respectively of the back members by said end caps and including a bar to secure said back members against opening, and releasing means including a lever secured to each end of the pintle, and a ioating ball carried by the lever and movable carried by one back member," detents on said other member for engaging Y 4" y Lenses;

each end of the pintle, and a movable element therewith againstthe respective bar to release the latch means.

1l. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of baclrV .members, a pintlepivotally connecting the back'members, a latching means having in? Y terengaging parts carried by the back members at each end thereof to secure said back members against opening, said mechanism including barsshiftable lengthwise of the back members and having cam portions, and releasing means including a lever secured to carried by each lever and shiftable therewith against the cam portion ofthe respec-tive bar tov release the latter.

f k12.v In a loose leaf binder, a pair of opposed pivoted back members, latching means to secure the back members against opening and including spring controlled latch bars located at the opposite ends of the back members and yieldable lengthwise of the latter to releasetherefrom, and releasing means at the 'opposite ends of the back member, connected for simultaneous operation, each releasing means including -a member swingable transversely ofthe back members and having means cooperating with the respective latch bar to force the latter to released position.

In testimony whereof7 I hereunto aix my yROY E; HAMILTON. 

